Improvement in stalk-cutters



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Letters Patent No. 99,328, dated Fcbaaaay 1, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN VSil-"ALK-QTJTIIIIERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, JOEL LEE, of Galesburg, in the county of Knox, and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Stalk-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

Nature and Objects of the Invention. The nature of my invention lrelates to an improve- .ment in stalkcutters and The invention consists, rst, in suspending the cutters or knives by oscillating arms inside of the roller ing the cutters from operating' while the machine is being moved freni place to place.

Italso consists inthe peculiar construction and combination of wheels with slotted arms, with the cutters and vibrating arms.

Description of thc Accompanying Drawings.

Figure 1 is a top .plan or view of my invention. Figure 2, bottom plan or view of the same, with thei roller-plates and scraper removed', to show the working of the cutters.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line a: a. -Figure 4 is an elevation ot the disk E and cam D,

1. gFigure 5 is an elevation of vdisk Land cam R, iig. l. A is the frame of themac'hiue; a plain rectangle, and to which is attached the draught-pole M. Gis a sham-carried in suitable bearings, in the sides of the frame A. l

.P P are wheels, made fast to and carried on the Shaft B; The arms jp of thewheels Pare slotted,as shown at iig. 3.

d d are lugs or ears on the arms p p, and the oscillating arms Z are pivoted in these lugs d so that they may vibrate in the slots, in the arms of the wheels P.

` W is the cutter, and is pivoted to the'lower end of the arms Z.

S is a projection from the end of thecutter W, andcarries a. small wheel, T, with its periphery extending beyond the end of -the projection B B are plates, forming the roller or cylinder, and may be made to extend from the slot in ouai arm vof the wheel l? to the slot in the next, as at B B, iig. 3, or they' may be narrow strips, and placed at one Aside of the slots, asat B' B', iig. 3, their main purpose be ing to hold the stalkswhile being cut, and the narrow ones being better adapted to rough ground, while the broader ones are better adapted to smooth ground, and in very rough land they may be left oi entirely.

D is au eccentric, against which the small wheel T strikes in rotating the roller B, and drives the cutter W to the right, `when it is immediately below the shaft O, and R is an eccentric or cam at the' other end of the roller, against which the end of the cutter impinges, and iscarried back to the left, and to the position shown by the dotted lines W' and Z The cutter W may have a smooth edge, as shown at-the left-hand end, iig. 2, or it may have. a sickleedge, as shown at the right-hand end, same figure, and it will be plainlyseen that the cutter W, in passing from the positionshown. by the dotted vlines W', to the position shown by the full lines W, will not only have a vertical movement, but also a'longitudinal movement, thus' insuring more certaintyiu cutting wet and tough stalks. The peculiar movement of the cutters is also shown bythe dotted line D.

By removing the bolt H, the cam D may be taken o, and then, by carrying the cutter W to theposi-v tion shown by the dotted lines W', audinserting apin in the hole i, the roller may be revolved without operating the cutter, and the machine movedv from iield to tield,or otherwise.

Vis a scraper, for the purpose of keeping the roller free from dirtf Friction-rollers may be used, if desired, at the sides l of the cutter-blades.

C' laims.

I claim, as my invention- 1. suspending thecutters W, by oscillating arms Z,

inside of the roller, substantiallyas described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination and arrangement. of the cams D and Rwith the cutters W, having either a smooth or a sickle-edge, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination and arrangement of the wheels P, having slotted' arms p, with the arms Z andv cutter W, substantially as described, and for tbe'purposeset forth.

'4. The arrangement of' the pini, andl removable cam D, for throwing the cutter out of gear, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

.5. The scraper V, eombinedand operating'with the roller B, cutter W, and arms Z, substantially Vas described, and lfor the purpose set forth.

Signed at Galesburg, Illinois, this 29th day of Sep- 

